Monthly Archives: August 2014

Whenever you see a medal, you always see a ribbon too. Nations around the world celebrate their military heroes by recognizing them with a badge of honor. Here are some of the world’s most famous military ribbons.

The Purple Heart

This purple satin ribbon is given to those injured or killed in battle after April 5, 1917, though it took about fifteen years after that for it first to be awarded. George Washington established its predecessor, the Badge of Military Merit. More than a million people were awarded this medal after WWII. About 320,000 received it after WWI, and 315,000 got it when they came back from Vietnam.

The Medal of Honor

This is the highest military distinction given to those fighting for the U.S.A. above and beyond the call of duty. With a light blue silk moiré ribbon with thirteen white stars in the shape of three chevrons, this badge was created in 1861 and has only been awarded 3,469 times. The Army, Navy, and Air Force versions are all slightly different. The ribbon also comes with a lapel button, and if one joins the league of those nineteen who have received the ribbon twice, as of 2013, the recipient receives a “V” device to put on the ribbon.

The Military Medal

This medal is given to those who distinguish themselves bravely in service on land for the British Commonwealth. This medal was established March 25, 1916 and discontinued in 1993 for the Military Cross (MC). It hung on a blue ribbon that had red and white stripes. The MC has a purple and white moiré ribbon.

Victoria Cross

If the MC is the equivalent of the Purple Heart, this ribbon is the British Medal of Honor. On a 1 1/2 inch maroon ribbon, this is given to any military personnel for conspicuous bravery or self-sacrifice. It takes equal precedence with the George Cross, which can be given to civilians for acts of great heroism.

Legion d’Honneur

This is the highest honor awarded by the French. It has five distinctions, and although it is technically limited to French nationals, those who live abroad and serve French ideals can also be distinguished, which amounts to the same thing as being awarded the ribbon. Founded by Napoleon in 1804, this red ribbon has been awarded to over a million people, including Bob Dylan and Julia Child.

If you serve in a military campaign, at least in the U.S., you will receive a ribbon to wear on your coat. A total of 57 ribbons exist today to honor those who have served our country. But as the Legion d’Honneur and the George Cross show, you don’t have to wear a uniform to receive a fancy satin ribbon.

Seasonal Color Symbolism

Now that summer is almost over, it’s time to start thinking about colored wholesale ribbon for autumn. It’s funny how different parts of the year have corresponding colors. When September rolls around, we always think of yellow, orange, and red as colors of the harvest. Come December, with the exception of Christmas, deep blues and purples symbolize the coldest season of the year. In spring, light greens and pastels are appropriate, and during summer coral, turquoise and gold are what we usually think of (and wear).

The time of year typically dictates what colors we associate with often because of the food we eat. For example, the oranges of ripe pumpkins translate well into satin ribbon decorations, at a wedding or otherwise. Red apples and yellow squash are other foods that we typically associate with autumn’s colors, at least in North America. But because different foods grow around the world, and weather varies so widely from latitude to latitude, different colored ribbons have a wide range of symbolism, depending on where you go.

Wedding Color Symbolism

Take the white satin ribbon frequently seen on wedding dresses, for example. In the Western World, white became the standard color for wedding dress after Queen Victoria’s marriage to Prince Albert in 1840, when she wore this color to incorporate some of her favorite lace. Before that, black was a common color for wedding dresses, especially in Scandinavia. In the East, in China, India, Pakistan and Vietnam, red is typically worn as a sign of auspiciousness and good luck for brides on their wedding day. But cultures vary so widely across the world that while in India red means purity and in traditional Jewish cultures it means sin. White means unhappiness in India and is the color of mourning in China.

It’s very important to be aware of what colors symbolize depending on where you’re marketing the wholesale ribbons you buy. This page describes how certain segments of the population prefer certain colors. If it’s in the West, you probably don’t have to think too hard, your gut reaction will let you know what color ribbon is appropriate for a project. But if you or your product is headed across international lines, do some research, even if you’re getting married.

I have been a freelance designer for many years, decades really. My history in design trails back to beginning my artistic career as a botanical illustrator for Missouri Botanical Gardens. Over the years, I have written craft books for Better Homes and Gardens,Mark Publishing and Meredith Books among others. My garden designs were included in Sunset gardening books. It is always about doing something creative.

The path of design has taken several turns over the years. While living in England, I specialized in textile design for home decor and children’s clothing. My passion for product development has led to designing products for the wedding industry. This has become my speciality for the past several years.
I am delighted to find RB as a source for the ribbons and laces presently used for a most fun product collection that is sold via SaveonCrafts. Wedding whites along with pink and cream ribbons are featured on the wedding wands that are sellling very well on their website.

What seems like oceans of wholesale satin ribbon and lace are featured for the Shabby Chic satin ribbon garlands that are designed for use on the bride and groom’s reception chairs and as table surrounds. These are lovely for decorating a baby’s room as well.

Blues, greens and purple double faced satin ribbons are being used on the new beach banners this company is carrying as well. At times, the studio looks and feels like a fabulous ribbon fair. Ribbons are draped everywhere and it rather feels like a bit of a fantasy world.

I must add that as a production artist as well as designer there is always the cost factor in organizing a project. Part of my work is in the sourcing and pricing area. The price and quality of the satin ribbons I have found at RB really do help make my products possible to bring to market.

It is to add, of course, a great encouragement to crafters and those who are creative to explore your ideas and think in terms of creating your own line of lovely products. The world always needs people adding something beautiful to our lives.

If you liked this post and want to be featured on our Blog then check out our Ribbon Bazaar Stories page for details.

We all know how important your wedding is, and how much it can cost. That’s why it’s a great idea to save when it comes down to the details. Take wedding favors, for instance. While some people don’t think wedding favors are necessary, they’re the kind of detail that says thank you in a way that makes them feel special for knowing you. While some more modern weddings choose not to include wedding favors, the decision ultimately depends on what your budget is. You don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on wedding favors if it means cutting into open bar time, or choosing a less expensive dish to serve at the reception. Plus, many wedding favors are tchotchkes that bear the monogram of the couple, bulk accessories quickly forgotten by guests. So if you’re going to do wedding favors, do them right!

Wedding Favors They’ll Want

Instead of creating wedding favors that no one wants, try giving things people will actually use. Foodstuffs work great. Coffee, salt water taffy, jars of jam, honey, booze, or s’mores kits are just some ideas. Crafts like journals, candles, sketchbooks, and coasters also make great gifts. Flip-flops or even sunglasses can be personalized with a tag and a piece of curled grosgrain or satin ribbon. Buy a spool of wholesale satin ribbon to do it yourself and save. Making a donation to your favorite charity in the name of your guests is another great wedding favor idea. But even then, it’s important to personalize it with the name of your guest and a flourish of ribbon.

If it’s within your budget, give wedding favors to everyone, or at least one to each couple. The right way to do it is with a place card that has their name and where they should sit. For couples, place their favor between their seats. Some weddings have color-coordinated wedding favors. These usually match with the wedding’s colors.

DIY Touches

Simple touches like a curl of satin ribbon onto that mojito kit or personalized lip balm really make a big difference in your guest’s opinion of the wedding. So as long as it doesn’t cut into the other important parts of the ceremony, make sure to give your guests a favor they’ll remember.

Wildflowers and Lace Invitations was founded in August of 2012 as a result Michelle Felux’s wedding. She wanted very specific
wedding invitations that featured lace, gold, navy blue as well as real, pressed bluebonnets. She looked around online and couldn’t find anyone who offered real pressed flowers on the invitations, so she decided to try her hand at designing her own! 200+ invitations later, she found that she enjoyed designing them, creating something truly unique for brides and being a part of someone’s most special day. She opened up her shop with her husband’s support and now she sells invitations nation-wide on Etsy. Her business is technically a partnership between her husband and herself, but nearly 100% of the time it will be she who you work with!
Mrs. Felux’s business specializes in predominantly handmade, custom wedding stationery. She designs wedding invitations, save the dates, engagement announcements, thank you notes, menus, wedding signage, and soon, custom commemorative coasters. She uses RibbonBazaar’s double face satin ribbon of various sizes to really put the finishing touches on her stationery. The 1 1/2 inch ribbons serve as belly bands for some of her pocket folders, the 5/8 inch ribbon she uses to tie together wedding programs and certain invitation suites. She also likes to use lace to decorate some of the single card invitations.
Mrs. Felux loves RibbonBazaar’s quality and value for her double face satin ribbons, which she buys wholesale. In her own words, “I have never found a company with so many options available online for such great prices.” Her business is located out of her home in a rural part of south Texas, so running to the city takes a lot of gas money as well as time, which means that RibbonBazaar provides the perfect option for everything she needs online.

She first searched for double face satin and lace when making her own invitations. She couldn’t find the right quantities, she realized she had to look for wholesale satin ribbon. Then, she finally found our store and the colors of Navy Blue and Cinnabar matched her invitations perfectly! She was so happy with the quality of our wholesale satin ribbons that she knew exactly who to use when she opened her shop in 2012.
Today Mrs. Felux sells to more people around the nation than she has ever sold to in her hometown! She also sells internationally! Just shoot her a message if you’re in a different country and she will work with you to make a plan! Since everything is handmade, tons of special care is put into each order. Wildflowers and Lace Invitations takes the time to make sure everything is perfect!

If you liked this post and want to be featured on our Blog then check out our Ribbon Bazaar Stories page for details.

Floral bouquets can cost a ton of money, especially when they’re out of season and shipped from around the world. They’re also a huge part of your wedding—who knows, you may associate the scent of your special day with that flower for years to come. In this post we’ll run through some of our favorite flowers for bouquets, and offer tips on how to cut costs with quick DIY tricks that make use of wholesale satin ribbons.

Calla Lilies

Sure we love roses, but for so long they’ve been associated with love. They’re almost played, even if they are yellow or white. Let’s start from the top and work our way down. Take the Calla Lily. This beautiful white flower is native to Southern Africa. White Calla Lilies are most popular but they also come in purple and other colors. They also come in two sizes, a long-stem for bouquets and a miniature, perfect for bouttonieres and nosegays.

Lily of the Valley

The Lily of the Valley is another beautiful flower, a bit more soft-spoken, but very sweet-smelling, despite being very poisonous. The little bell-shaped flowers have a long tradition within Christianity as springing into existence from the tears Mary cried after the crucifixion. This flowers is also expensive; it was used in Kate Middleton’s bouquet.

Peonies

Peonies are a big bushy flower with lush petals that comes in a variety of colors, from pink to white to red. Cultivated in Asia for thousands of years, the French took this further by bringing it to the West. They’re not inexpensive, though they are cheaper during late spring and early summer.

Ranunculus

With their many petals, a bouquet of ranunculus can be beautiful, in one color or in an assortment. This relative of the buttercup ranges in color from white to orange to pink and lots of shades in between. Ranunculus last a long time after they’re cut, and they bloom in early spring.

Sweet Peas

Native to southern Italy and Sicily, these brightly colored flowers are sweet-smelling and beautiful for any bouquet. Because of their colorful range, from rich pink to deep purple, this flower was the favorite of geneticists Mendel and Punnett for their easy breedability. A crawler, this flower grows widely and is not expensive.

The right satin ribbon for your bouquet

It’s easy to match wholesale satin ribbon with your choice flowers. Typically white satin ribbon works well against the green stems. You can also match satin ribbon ties with the color of your dress. If on the other hand you want to be less traditional, choose a color that matches the color of your bouquet. If your bouquet is a variety of colors, choose one color of wholesale satin ribbon to make it pop.

Tell your florist you want long stems so you have something to hold onto. You can always trim them down later if you need to. Wrap them with flower tape before tying them in ribbon, and after that spray them with hairspray. You’ll save money if you do it yourself, and you’ll have a beautiful bouquet.

After Susan McMonagle’s daughter Christine & her fiancé Adam exchanged vows April 26, 2014 at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Portland, Oregon, a reception followed at Waverley Country Club.

Satin ribbon from MIDORI were used to tie bridesmaid’s bouquets while Ribbon Bazaar’s wholesale satin ribbons were used for everything else, including to encircle the tiers of the wedding cake.

Seating cards were color-coded using RB ribbon denoting the entree each guest had chosen. They were displayed on a table decorated by wide satin ribbons matching the bridesmaids’ gowns. The wide satin ribbons were sewn to points and festooned with a bejeweled button.